Boat-to-Table Fishing CSAs Catching On

Fishing communities from Maine to California are working together to
save theirway of life and restore marine resources by establishing
direct markets between fishermen and the people who eat their catch.

Several years ago, concerns about dwindling worldwide fish stocks
prompted federal regulators to limit how much fish can be caught in U.S.
waters, but the measures don’t regulate who catches the fish.
Small-scale fishermen in the North Atlantic region were hit particularly
hard by regulations, because they were competing in the global market
with domestic and international industrial-scale factory fleets and
aquaculture companies.

Factory fleets can process and freeze large quantities of fish while
still at sea, giving them a big advantage over smaller fishermen.

“All of a sudden everybody got out, and those of us who stayed didn’t
have anywhere or anyoneto sell to,” says Gary Libby, a fisherman
based in Port Clyde, Maine.

“The old model of catching as much as you could just wasn’t working
any longer,” says Libby’swife, Kim. Inspired by fishermen in North
Carolina, who sell directly to the public off their boats, she started
the first CSF, or Community Supported Fishery, from their home in PortClyde
in 2007.

CSF shareholders pay up front for a share of the catch. Most CSFs
deliver whole fish inseason, so customers experience variety and
seasonality. Fishermen are paid a flat rateper season, rather than
being paid only for the number of fish they catch. This encourages them
to diversify their catch and fish according to the demands of the
ecosystem, rather than tomaximize sales.

According to the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA), which
works on policyto support small-scale fishing, nearly 20 other
communities across North America have beeninspired by the Port Clyde
experience to start their own CSFs.

“It makes people feel good to know their fisherman,” Libby remarks.
He says no one left inthe small-boat community-based fishing
business in New England is in it for the money. “Bringing a high-quality
product to consumers they wouldn’t ordinarily have is the real reward.”

Producing in-depth, thoughtful journalism for a better world is expensive – but supporting us isn’t. If you value ad-free independent journalism,
consider subscribing to YES! today.

Email address

Ellen Tyler and Daniel Fireside wrote this article for What Happy Families Know, the Winter 2011 issue of YES! Magazine. Ellen is a graduate student of Agriculture, Food and
Environmental Science & Policy at Tufts University. Daniel
is the Capital Coordinator at Equal Exchange.